SYNTH-POP
“Nightbird”
Erasure
Mute
Poor Erasure has spent more than 10 years searching for its voice.
1991’s “Chorus” was its last truly full album, and while 1994’s “I Say I Say I Say” tried to recapture the inimitable spirit that dominated tracks from the late-’80s such as “Chains of Love,” it missed the mark. Erasure has poked at the popscape ever since with lackluster albums that don’t meet the high standards they set so early on.
“Nightbird” isn’t the Erasure of old, but it’s a sign of a new Erasure, matured and focused … and slightly boring. Released on the heels of vocalist Andy Bell’s admission that he is HIV-positive, the record has a somber but hopeful tone that never overwhelms. But it’s mostly down-tempo, which is unfortunate since the band hasn’t written a great ballad since “Ship of Fools.”
Erasure plays the Paramount Theatre on May 29. Tickets, $30-$35, are available via Ticketmaster.
– Ricardo Baca
ROCK
“Calling Up My Bad Side”
Weather
Cake Records
This aptly named Seattle band capitalizes on rock’s seemingly insatiable thirst for piano-driven sentimentality.
Singer Sean Campbell brings Dave Matthews-style introspection to his songwriting. The CD’s title track fuses Cake-sounding bass lines with a touch of indie-rock guitar chaos; every track features skillfully layered rhythms.
Strong melody is what this CD lacks. Campbell’s humane storytelling and delivery is engaging, particularly during “Falling Down.” But few songs leave the listener humming a tune once the CD is over.
Weather plays Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom on May 19. Tickets, $8-$10, 303-297-1772 or www.quixotes.com.
– Elana Ashanti Jefferson
GARAGE ROCK
“Pretty in Black”
The Raveonettes
Columbia
There has never been a shortage of Phil Spector homages. But this one’s particularly good.
The wall of sound is there, of course, but so is the inherent sweetness that dominated so much of Spector’s music.
It’s obvious in the lo-fi take on “My Boyfriend’s Back,” but it’s also all over “Ode to L.A.,” which features Spector’s ex-wife, Ronnie Spector, on vocals and tastefully rips off multiple Phil Spector hits.
They stray a bit with the slooowed-down garage rockers “Red Tan” and “Somewhere in Texas,” both of which show vocalist Sune Rose Wagner’s songwriting growth.
– Ricardo Baca